Theories of intelligence

Theories of intelligence

1. Information processing

   • Sternberg's triarchic theory
     • Analytical intelligence - applying mental mechanisms to a problem
       • Metacomponents - determines the nature of the problem, allocates resources
       • Performance components - cognitive processes used in problem solving
       • Knowledge acquisition components - used to learn new material
     • Practical intelligence - ability to make a considered response dependent on context
       • Selecting response most likely to be successful
     • Creative intelligence - identifying new situations and using knowledge to solve it
       • Autonomisation - an action that requires little thought
     • Grigorenko et al - taught reading triarchically or through curriculum
       • Triarchic outperformed standard
     • Berg & Sternberg - metacomponents and performance components less superior with age
       • Explains ageing
       • Cunningham & Tomer - not all analytical components decrease with age
         • Knowledge acquisition stable
     • Williams et al - when PIFS (based on triarchic theory) had a major role in curriculum, increase in practical intelligence found
     • Gottfredson - insufficient evidence to show practical intelligence different from 'G'
     • Cultural bias - triarchic model used on Kenyan children, concluded we cannot assume cognitive skills
       • Different cultures have different values
   • Gardiner's theory of multiple intelligences
     • Ability an intelligence if it problem solves
     • Intelligence criteria
       • Neuropsychological evidence
       • Individuals with exceptional talent
       • Developmental history
       • Research evidence
     • Gardner's eight intelligneces
       • Linguistic
       • Numerical
       • Spatial
       • Bodily-kinaesthetic
       • Musical
       • Interpersonal
       • Intrapersonal
       • Natural
     • Very little research support
       • Douglas et al - Mi teaching greater increase in academic & social wellbeing than direct instruction
     • Positive implication - MI assumes there are different approaches to a problem
     • Gardiner - intelligence testing should be MI not IQ. IQ too restrictive
       • Help not rank kids
     • Cultural bias
       • Different intelligences valued in different cultures
         • Undermines importance of other intelligences
       • China - maths=intelligence
         • Bodily-kinaesthetic not

2. Psychometric

   • General intelligence
     • Galton
     • Spearman's two factor theory
       • 'S'
         • i.e maths
       • 'G'
         • inherited
         • Gould - 'G' abstract-concrete, only exists as correlation
       • Spearman - perfect correlation between 'G' and IQ in 24 children
       • Cultural bias - US army IQ test 1.75 million men
         • Americans did better than EU immigrants & black Americans
         • Included questions on US sports, food and customs
     • Duncan et al - PET scan, frontal lobe lit up in 'G' tasks not others
   • Multifactor theories
     • Cattell's Gf-Gc theory
       • Two componants
         • Crystallised Intelligence (Gc) acquired knowledge and skills - cultural & educational experiences
         • Fluid Intelligence (Gf) reasoning and problem solving, raw material for Gc development
         • Related, high Gf - high Gc
         • McArdle et al - explains how Gc increases and Gf decreases over a lifetime
       • The Flynn effect supports the difference between Gf and Gc
         • IQ scores increasing each generation
         • Flynn effect only holds for Gf, meaning it is different to Gc
       • Bunting & Mooney - pupils coached to do well in IQ tests
         • 40% increase in SAT scores
         • Some unable to keep up with academic demands
     • Thurstone's primary mental abilities
       • intelligence made up of primary abilities that can be separately measured
         • Verbal Comrpehension
         • Number
         • Spatial ability
         • Inductive reasoning
           • Ability to draw inferences
       • Theory not universally supported
         • Applicable to uni students
         • Not found in a class of intellectually diverse children
           • Found evidence of 'G' added to theory